Adjustable head rest



1957 G. F. GIELOW 2,81 02 ADJUSTABLE HEAD REST Filed Aug. 9, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet .l

INVENTOR. 650196! 5 6 BY M 9 W Nov. 12, 1957 ca. F. GIELOW ADJUSTABLE HEAD REST v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 9, 1955 INVENTOR. 650566 A Glt-ZOW Nov. 12, 1957 w G. F. GIELOW 2,312,802

-ADJUSTABLE HEAD REST Filed Aug. 9, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORL 650965 E 67510 mwwa nfrvmram ADJUSTABLE HEAD REST George F. Gielow, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to National Seating Company, Mansfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 9, 1955, Serial No. 527,189

Claims. (Cl. 155 177) This invention relates as indicated to an adjustable head rest and, more particularly, to such as assembly intended principally for incorporation in reclining chair structure, such as now commonly found in buses, airplanes and trains.

The introduction of the now well-known reclining chairs in such carriers constituted a very substantial advance in passenger comfort by enabling an individual user adjustably and at will to select the inclination of the back of the chair relative to the seat and thus provide variable support ranging from a substantially upright position to, in most cases, an almost supine position. The present improvements provide, as a primary object, a further advance of this nature in making available in such a reclining chair a head rest portion which may itself be adjusted to and held at various selected inclinations relative to the body of the seat back. In the new construction, therefore, a passenger is afforded a separate adjustment of the support for his head, which may be availed of either with or without changing the position of the seat back.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a head rest of such nature which is automatically returned to a normal position, such return being accomplished Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certainillustrative embodiments of the invention, thesebeing indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a reclining chair unit which has been partially broken for convenience of illustration;

Fig. 2 is an end view of this unit, looking from the left in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the new head rest structure incorporated in the seat backs of the reclining chair unit;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of this head rest as sembly; and

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are like fragmentary views, partially in section, of the latching mechanism employed at each side of the head rest, the different views showing the mechanism in different conditions of adjustment;

'nited States Patent 0 Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the reclining chair unit illustrated in Fig. 1 will be recognized as being conventional in over-all appearance, comprising as it does inner and outer seats 10 and 11 mounted on a common frame 12, and separate seat backs 13 and 14 associated respectively with the two seats. This type of unit is widely employed in passenger carriers, such as bus and train coaches, and the frame 12 is adapted to be secured to the wall of the coach, indicated at 15, at its inner side 16. An arm rest 17 is provided at such side, shaped to fit along the coach wall, while an outer arm rest 18 projects above the side plate assembly 19 at the outer or aisle side of the unit, a support 20 extending between the frame and the floor 21 at such latter side.

The two seat backs are interconnected with the respectively associated seats by suitable mechanical linkages permitting adjustment of the included angles therebetween, levers 22 being provided for individual release of these particular mechanisms. Beneath each seat there is provided a foot rest 23 which may be swung upwardly to the rear and latched in different angular positions for the accommodation of passengers in the seats directly behind those illustrated.

The operation of such reclining chairs is well known to the general public, and the particular mechanism whereby the seats and backs are interconnected and relatively adjustable is conventional and does not form a part of the present invention. Accordingly, it is not necessary here to set forth the seat and lower back construction in detail; as will appear, the adjustable head rest is independently formed and actuatable when incorporated in the seat back.

It will, moreover, be understood that both the seats and the backs are upholstered in suitable manner, foam rubber now generally being employed for the purpose. The head portion 24 of each seat is normally slightly built-up in the manner illustrated. By virtue of my new head rest, approximately the upper third of each seat back constitutes a discrete head portion which may be held at a number of different inclinations relative to the remaindcr of the seat back; This has been indicated in Fig. 2 by the dashed outlines respectively showing such head portions in different positions of adjustment, projecting forwardly to difierent degrees from the normal condition shown in full line.

With reference now to Figs. 3 and 4, the upper portion of a seat back frame, stripped of all upholstery, is there shown including the head rest assembly of the invention. Such assembly comprises a tubular frame member 25 of general U-shape to define the periphery of the head portion and disposed within this member, and attached thereto by clips, is a board 26 for support of the backing used in upholstering the structure. As indicated in Fig. 4, the frame member is bowed somewhat, so as to be slightly concave forwardly, and the board is correspondingly curved.

Received within and secured to each end of the tubular frame is a downwardly extending fork 27, the two cars 28 of which are angled forwardly and have a series of approximately V-shaped notches 29 in their lower edges, whereby the ears serve as ratchet sectors. Such forked extensions fit within brackets 30 secured to the fram members 31 of the lower back assembly. A long pivo pin 32 passes through openings provided therefor in the bracket and fork at the outer or left hand side of the head rest, as viewed in Fig. 3, and a short pivot pin 33 is correspondingly passed through the inner fork extension and associated bracket. The head rest frame and body is thereby pivotally secured to the lower back assembly for swinging movement about the horizontal axis of the pins.

Stop nuts 34 are provided on the inner ends of the two pivot pins, and a main spring 35 has its coiled body 36 disposed about the interior projection of the long pivot pin 32. The stop nut on-this pin is, of.course, engaged with the outer end of the spring body, and one end 37 of the spring is firmly held against a lower transverse plate 33 by a lug 39, while the other end 449 extends upwardly and is engaged in a hole 41 provided therefor in the tubular frame member 25. This main spring functions automatically to return the head rest to its normal position after adjustment upon actuation in a manner to be described.

Latching mechanism is provided at each fork extension 27 of the head rest, and these are enclosed within the protective covers 42, the cover at the left in Fig. 3 being removed in the illustration to expose the mechanism at this side. A trip plate 43 is arranged between the two ratchet cars 28 of each fork and pivoted about the respectively associated pivot pin, so as to be capable of swinging movement between the ears. Each trip plate is of slightly longer extent than the ears, thereby to project somewhat below the lower edges of the latter, and is provided with a deep notch 44 and a small notch 45 immediately forward of the deep notch in its lower edge, this being most clearly shown in the simplified and enlarged views of Figs. 5 to 8. Trip plate notch 44 is of such depth as to extend inwardly to the same depth as the notches 29 in the ratchet ears, while the small notch 45 does not extend inwardly as far as the lower edges of the cars.

A latch dog 46 having an upwardly projecting tooth 47 is pivoted on a sleeve 43 supported by the sides of the cover in each latchng mechanism with its tooth adapted to be engaged in the notches both of the ratchet ears and the associated trip plates. A spring 4? is connected at one end to a lower ear 50 of each dog and is engaged at its other end in an opening 51 in the adjacent end of the tubular lower back frame, the springs being operative to bias the dogs such to maintain the teeth thereof against the lower edges of the respectively associated ratchet ears and trip plate. Each trip plate in its lower region is formed with a slot 52 through which a sleeve 53 carried by the ratchet ears of the particular device extends, and it will be clear that engagement of this sleeve with either end of the slot causes the trip plate to move with the ratchet ears, and hence the head rest, while the slot affords a limited amount of relative movement. The dogs and the teeth of the same are of such width as to be engageable in the notches of both ratchet ears in each latching mechanism.

As indicated in the above, the two latch assemblies at the respective sides of the head rest are similarly constructed and operative, so that it will suffice and be more convenient to consider the mode of functioning of one assembly. As indicated both in Figs. 2 and 4, and by the fact that the ratchet ears have three notches in the illustrated construction, there are three positions of adjustment of the head rest assembly. By moving the head rest a predetermined further increment outwardly, indicated by the outermost dashed outline 54 in Fig. 4, the latch mechanism is tripped, whereby the main spring 35 operates to return the head rest automatically to the starting position. It will be clear from Figs. 5 to 8, wherein only the essential operative elements of a latching mechanism have been shown for simplicity, that the tooth of the latch may selectively be engaged in the notches of the ratchet ears and that such action is effective to lock or hold the head rest in the particular position of adjustment.

In Fig. 5, the head rest frame 25 is shown in its most forward position of adjustment, the dog tooth 47 here being engaged in the forward notch 29 of the ratchet ears and the sleeve 53 abutted against the rear end of the slot 52 in the trip plate. Accordingly, when the head rest is moved even further to the fore, to the trip position illustrated in Fig. 6, the engagement of the sleeve with this slot end causes the trip plate 43 to be shifted with the ratchet ears to the rear, whereby the tooth of the latch is caused to ride up out of the deep notch 44, in the trip plate and seat itself in the small notch 45. In this condition, the tooth is held away from the ratchet ears, so that the main spring 35 is operative to swing the head rest back to the first or start position, this movement being illustrated in Fig. 7 in which the sleeve 53 has just been engaged by the forward end of the trip plate slot. It will be seen that the movement of the sleeve from the rear end to the front end of the slot does not cause any shifting of the trip plate.

However, continued movement of the head rest frame to the rear under the influence of the main spring now causes the trip plate to be swung forwardly and thus the dog tooth is lifted from the small notch 45, whereupon it will seat itself in the deep notch 44 of the trip plate. in this particular position, shown in Fig. 8, the deep notch corresponds with the rearmost notch 29 of the ratchet ears, so that the head rest is thus latched in the normal or start position.

Accordingly, it is necessary for a passenger only to pull the head rest forwardly beyond the outermost adjusted position and release the same for automatic return of the same. An additional transverse shield 55 is provided further to occupy partially the space between the latching mechanisms for further support of the upholstery material, without interfering with the movement of the head rest relative to the lower back assembly. The'latter also includes a body board 56 and the conventional additional supports 57 projecting at the sides which define the usual concavity of the back about its longitudinal axis.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a reclining chair, an adjustable head rest comprising a frame having fork extensions at each side thereof, pivotal connections joining said frame at such fork extensions to the lower back assembly of the chair, each such fork extension having corresponding spaced notches in the lower edges of its legs, latches pivotally secured to the lower back assembly and including teeth adapted to be engaged respectively in selected pairs of the notches of the fork legs, thereby to hold the head rest frame at various adjusted inclinations relative to the lower back of the chair, springs associated with said latches for urging the teeth of the same against the notched edges'of the fork extensions, a trip plate disposed between the legs of each such extension, such trip plates having lost motion connections with the fork legs whereby the former are actuated after predetermined movement of the frame to the fore and to the rear, the trip plates being operative when actuated by swinging of the frame forwardly beyond the foremost position of latched adjustment to disengage the latch teeth from the fork notches, and a main spring operative when the latches are thus disengaged automatically to return the head rest frame to a start position, the trip plates being actuated upon such return to release the latches for engagement in the fork notches corresponding to such start position.

2. An adjustable head rest comprising a continuous frame member shaped longitudinally to general U-shape, said frame member being adapted pivotally to be connected to a back-supporting structure, a fork at each end of said frame member having its legs formed correspondingly with a series of spaced notches, latches adapted to be held in fixed relation to such back-supporting structure and in association respectively with the forks of the frame member, each such latch having'a tooth for en-- gagemen-t in selected pairs of notches of the associated fork, the latch teeth being of such width as to bridge the spaces between the fork legs and thereby provide such multiple points of latching engagement, springs operative to urge the latches against the notched surfaces of the forks, a trip plate between the legs of each fork operative to cam the associated latch away from the fork and thus disengage the latch tooth from the same, lost-motion connections between the forks and trip plates causing such camming of the latches in response to predetermined swinging movement of the frame member about the axis of its pivotal connection, and return spring means for swinging the frame member in the opposite direction when disengaged from the latches, the trip plates releasing the latches for renewed latching engagement after predetermined movement of the frame member in such opposite direction.

3. In a structure including upper and lower pivotally -connected frames, latch mechanism comprising a fork extension on the upper frame having the lower edges of its legs formed correspondingly with rows of spaced notches, a trip plate pivotally supported between such legs and extending slightly beyond the lower notched edges of the former, the lower projecting edge of the trip plate being formed with a deep notch of an inwardly directed extent corresponding to that of the leg notches and a forwardly spaced small notch not exceeding in depth the width of the plate projection, the trip plate being formed with a slot through which an actuator carried by the fork legs extends, such connection providing movement of the fork relative to the trip plate between the limits of the actuator engagement with the respective slot ends, a toothed dog pivotally secured to the lower frame, the tooth thereof being arranged adjacent the lower end of the fork extension and of a width such to be engageable in the notches of both legs of the same, a spring biasing the dog such that its tooth is urged against the edges of the fork legs and trip plate, the dog tooth normally being seated in the deep notch of the trip plate and thus operative to lock the upper frame at various selected angles relative to the lower frame and corresponding to the fork notches, movement of the upper frame beyond that condition in which the actuator engages the forward end of the trip plate slot causing the dog tooth to be cammed out of the deep notch and seated in the small notch, whereby the upper frame is released from the latching action of the dog, and a return spring interengaged between the upper and lower frames operative upon such release to swing the upper frame to the rear, the actuator engagement with the opposite end of the trip plate slot shifting the plate to return the dog tooth to the deep notch upon reaching the original start position of adjustment.

4. In a chair having a relatively stationary lower frame and an upper frame pivotally connected thereto, a fork carried by one of said frames and having its legs formed correspondingly with a series of spaced notches, a latch pivoted on the other of said frames, said latch having a tooth for engagement in the notches of said fork to hold the upper frame in selected positions of angular adjustment with respect to the lower frame, the tooth of the latch being of a width to bridge the space between the legs of the fork and engage simultaneously in corresponding notches of the two legs, a spring connected to said latch urging the same against the notched ends of the fork, a trip plate pivoted between the fork legs for camming the latch away from the fork thereby to disengage the same in one condition of adjustment, a lost-motion connection between the fork and said trip plate operative thus to cam the latch in response to predetermined swinging movement of the upper frame, and return spring means for swinging the upper frame in the opposite direction upon disengagement of the latch, the trip plate releasing the latch for renewed latching engagement upon such return of the upper frame to the initial position of adjustment of the same.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 characterized further in that the trip plate is formed with first and second notches between which the tooth of the latch is shifted, with one such notch being at least as deep as the notches in the fork legs to permit the tooth to engage in the latter and the second trip plate notch spacing the tooth out of contact with such legs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 576,480 Stern Feb. 2, 1897 773,720 Drury Nov. 1, 1904 830,826 Fontes Sept. 11, 1906 2,217,352 Todd Oct. 8, 1940 

